Stephen Tobolowsky

Stephen Harold Tobolowsky (born May 30, 1951) is an American charactor actor whose career has largely been in cast as supporting characters that are amiable, brainy, and/or clueless, in television, stage, and film.

Biography

Early life

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Tobolowsky (IPA pronunciation: [tobə'laʊski]) was born in Dallas, Texas to June and Dave Tobolowsky.

Career

After starting on the New York theater scene, Tobolowsky moved to Hollywood to enter the film business. He has appeared in over 100 films and at least as many television projects. Throughout his career he has maintained a connection to the theater by directing and acting in plays in New York and Los Angeles. He directed one movie, Two Idiots in Hollywood, which was based on his play of the same name. Stephen also co-wrote the film True Stories with David Byrne. In 2005 he released a documentary film, Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party, featuring a performance in which he tells stories from his life to a group of friends.

Perhaps through sheer force of repetition, he is known from his role in 1993's Groundhog Day, in which he played Bill Murray's annoying high school classmate and insurance salesman, Ned Ryerson, who Murray's character keeps running into when he keeps repeating February 2. Tobolowsky would later reunite with Murray 11 years later in the movie version of the comic strip Garfield: The Movie in which Tobolowsky played the villainous TV star Happy Chapman (Murray himself provided the voice of the orange feline). He appeared as a gentle sound man with a dark secret in the 1994 film Radioland Murders. He also had a memorable guest spot on Seinfeld as Tor Ackman, Kramer's holistic healer, in the second season episode, "The Heart Attack."

Tobolowsky was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play for the 2002 revival of Morning's at Seven. He is married to actress Ann Hearn and is the father of two sons.

Selected Filmography

• Howl (2008) as Christopher Cox
• Wild Hogs (2007) as Charley
• National Lampoon's Totally Baked : A Potumentary (2006) as Jesco Rollins
• Blind Dating (2006) as Dr. Perkins
• Pope Dreams (2006) as Carl
• Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party (2005) featuring a performance in which he tells stories from his life to a group of friends.
• Garfield as Happy Chapman
• Freaky Friday (2003) as Mr. Bates
• Freddy Got Fingered (2001) as Uncle Neil
• Memento (2000) as Sammy Jankis
• Bossa Nova (1999) as Trevor
• The Insider (1999) as Eric Kluster, a network executive on the receiving end of an enraged Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer)
• Mr. Magoo (1997) as FBI Agent Chuck Stupak
• Radioland Murders (1994) as Max Applewhite, the disgruntled studio sound engineer
• Groundhog Day (1993) as Ned Ryerson, Bill Murray's annoying high school classmate and insurance salesman
• Sneakers (1992) as hubristic engineer Werner Brandes, duped by the protagonists to gain access to his place of employment
• Thelma and Louise (1991) as Max
• Great Balls of Fire! (1989) as Jud Phillips
• Mississippi Burning (1988) as Clayton Townley
• Spaceballs (1987) as Captain of the Guards

Television Appearances

• Big Day as Garf, eccentric father of the groom
• Deadwood as Commissioner Hugo Jarry
• Complete Savages as Mr. Frehley

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